1. Field of the Invention.
The present invention relates generally to an automatic culling system and, particularly, without limitation, to a video controlled system for automatically detecting and culling shell eggs having broken shells and shell eggs having soiled shells from shell eggs having clean, unbroken shells.
2. Description of the Related Art.
Inspection and sorting procedures are common for many types of products and in many different manufacturing and processing operations. For example, egg processing can involve inspection of shell eggs for defects which could affect marketability of their contents. Such defects might include, for example, excessive dirt on the shells and cracked shells, which may cause present or subsequent contamination of the contents of the shell eggs.
Commercial egg processors commonly sell the contents of the shell eggs, i.e., yolk and albumen (egg whites), separately. Although blended yolks and albumen can be sold as "whole" egg, that form generally brings lower prices than when the yolks and albumen are sold separately. Egg contents are generally subjected to relatively stringent standards for purity and wholesomeness. Thus, egg processing operations often involve defect detection procedures for minimizing or eliminating defects which might jeopardize meeting those standards.
Commercial egg processing is often done with various types of automated equipment, such as an egg breaking and contents separating machine as taught by Willsey, U.S. Pat. No. 4,321,864. Such equipment can include a number of shell egg cracking and separating units (sometimes referred to as "crackers"), linked together in an endless belt Or chain which can be driven through various stations whereat the shell eggs are cracked, the shell halves spread apart, the shell egg contents drained, and the yolk and albumen portions thereof separated for discharge into selected receptacles at a downstream location. If a shell egg remains soiled after being processed through a washer, the cracking process may cause some of that soilage to intermix with and contaminate the egg contents. Preferably, only clean eggs are processed through the crackers.
Procedures for detecting defective shell eggs sometimes involve stationing an operator at an observation station downstream from a station where the shell eggs are washed such that the operator can visually inspect and screen the stream of shell eggs prior to processing thereof.
When a defective shell egg is detected, the operator can physically remove the shell eggs or adjust the apparatus such that the defective shell eggs are sorted out for rerouting through the washer. However, such sorting and screening techniques are susceptible to human error since they depend primarily upon visual observation by the operator. The human error factors can be exacerbated by the repetition and tedium associated with constantly observing a fast-moving procession of objects which are nearly identical in appearance while trying to remain alert for the telltale signs of a defect.
Therefore, there is a need for a shell egg culling system for automatically culling out cracked eggs for discarding and, further, for culling out soiled eggs from clean eggs for recycling through a washer. Therefore, an effective automatic culling system and method can reduce an operator's workload and improve productivity. The present invention addresses this need.